Shiny Toy Guns Talk "III"

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There's an engaging and enthralling thread tying this electro rock roller coaster together, and it makes for an unforgettable ride. The group maintains all of the hallmarks of their sound that made them pioneers in the scene, while upping the ante with a more expansive vision than ever before. In other words, it's essential listening for electronic dance music and rock fans…

In this exclusive interview with ARTISTdirect.com editor in chief Rick Florino, Jeremy Dawson of Shiny Toy Guns talks III and so much more…

What's your take on III as a whole?

III was built in three sections. That's one of the many reasons it's called III. The sections were connected together at the end. One section is about love. One is about life. One is about death. Those three themes are intermingled. The record took three years to make, and it's our third album. There some metaphors going on there.

When did that idea of the three themes materialize?

It was totally organic. It happened as the record was coming together. We didn't have a name for the album. It's similar to how we arrived upon the band name. It just stuck, and we let it do its own thing.

What's the story behind "Carrie"?

"Carrie" is the metaphoric story of the breakup, falling apart, and reunion of the band. If you listen to the lyrics, they tell two different sides of a broken story we were going through a few years ago. It's one of the older songs. It was part of phase one of the record.

Where did "Take Me Back to Where I Was" come from?

Chad wrote that. It's very personal to him in his life. Something happened in his personal life, and he was able to mend that and restart some things. The song tells that story. It felt like the right thing to put at the end. It's the quiet shutting of the screen door at the end of the album.

Is it important for you to paint pictures and tell stories within the songs?

It's kind of our style. We went a lot heavier on this record lyrically. There aren't a lot of quirky, bouncy things going on. Building imagery in your brain while listening to a song might be the most fun part of listening to a song. Why not get more stimuli going on? You don't just hear things. You see things. You touch things. You feel things. Capture as many senses as you can with something artistic.

If you were to compare III to a movie or a combination of movies, what would you compare it to?

Inception because there are so many levels and you have to really pay attention to catch the whole impact of the story being told. The whole story is about life, death, and love. Those are the same things we're writing about on this record. That film actually had a heavy impact on the album. It wasn't direct, but it's a powerful movie we watched over and over again.

Who are you listening to right now?

I'm listening to so much music now! I'm locked onto this guy from San Francisco named Tycho. It's really warm, synthesized pad music. Washed Out from Atlanta is awesome too. Grimes is unbelievable. I'd put that at the top of my list. Purity Ring is a three-piece from Montreal that's great. Then, there's Yala. I love a lot of French music and French-Canadian music. That's what I'm listening to. There's a sexy vibe that they bring naturally. If you've ever been to Montreal, it's a beautiful city with some very beautiful people, buildings, and artwork. When you're surrounded by that, it comes out in everything you do. Montreal is awesome. When you're around art, you become art. It's inspirational. Everyone feeds off of each other. If you go to Manhattan and you're surrounded by this beautiful, bustling city, you're not going to write a Randy Travis album. You're going to do something different and cutting edge.